Two forest department officers and a driver from the Parigi forest range in Vikarabad district were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on October 17 for accepting a bribe of ₹40,000.
The accused officers, Bollumalla Saikumar and Mohd. Moinuddin, both forest section officers, were trapped in their office while demanding and accepting bribe through Balanagaram Balakrishna, an outside driver in the Parigi forest range. The payment was allegedly offered in exchange for the regular issuance of online transit permits for vehicles transporting custard apples from the Parigi forest area to the Batasingaram fruit market.
The bribe money was recovered from the possession of the driver after which all the three accused were arrested and produced before the Special Court for SPE and ACB cases at Nampally. Further investigation is underway.
The identity of the complainant has been withheld for security reasons.
Published – 17 October 2025 20:30 IST
